Electronic pedometer

ABSTRACT

To realize miniaturization and detection of a walk state in which no arm is swung in an electronic pedometer in which at least a walk sensor is used in a state of being worn on a wrist. An acceleration sensor is disposed so that a sensitivity axis of the acceleration sensor is located in a range of 30° or smaller in a counterclockwise direction from the direction of 90° with respect to a longitudinal direction of a belt. A user of an electronic pedometer wears the electronic pedometer on his/her left wrist using the belt and starts processing for counting the number of steps by manipulating a manipulation portion, and also starts to walk, thereby starting counting the number of steps. The user checks the counted number of steps and the measured time period based on displayed contents on a step number display portion and a time display portion of a display portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electronic pedometer for measuringthe number of steps by detecting a walk of a person or the like.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Heretofore, there has been developed an electronic pedometer formeasuring the number of steps of a user by detecting a walk of the userusing a walk sensor.

A watch type pedometer which is used by being worn on a wrist of a userlike a watch has been developed as the electronic pedometer (refer toPatent Document 1 for example).

With the above conventional watch type electronic pedometer, since apendulum sensor is used, the number of steps can be measured in a normalwalk in which a user walks while he/she naturally swings his/her arms.However, there is encountered a problem that the number of steps cannotbe measured in a case where a user walks with his/her arm being fixed toa predetermined position (e.g., at the ear) without swinging his/herarms, for example, in a case where the user walks while he/shecommunicates with someone using his/her mobile telephone.

In addition, while not being of a watch type, a product has also beendeveloped with which the number of steps can be measured even in a statein which no arm is swung as in a state in which an electronic pedometeris held in a pocket or the like. In this case, two sensors are used andare disposed so as to perpendicularly intersect each other. As a result,the number of steps can be measured even in a state in which theelectronic pedometer is held in a pocket or the like. However, there isencountered a problem in that that a volume increases and circuits foramplifying signals from the sensors are required to be doubled in numberbecause the two sensors are used, or when the electronic pedometer isdriven in a time division manner in order to prevent such a situation, atime period required to drive the circuits increases, and hence theelectronic pedometer of this type is unsuitable for the watch typepedometer.

<Patent Document 1> JP 2002-221434 A

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronicpedometer, used at least by wearing a walk sensor on a wrist, which iscapable of being miniaturized and of detecting a walk in a state inwhich no arm is swung.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided an electronicpedometer having: a walk sensor for detecting a walk of a user to outputa walk signal corresponding to the walk; calculation means forcalculating the number of steps of the user based on the walk signal;and a belt with which at least the walk sensor is worn on a wrist of theuser, the walk sensor being used at least by being worn on the wrist ofthe user using the belt, wherein the walk sensor is disposed so that asensitivity axis of the walk sensor is located in a range of 30° orsmaller in a counterclockwise direction from 90° with respect to alongitudinal direction of the belt, or in a range of 30° or smaller in aclockwise direction from 90° with respect to the longitudinal directionof the belt.

A walk sensor is disposed so that a sensitivity axis of the walk sensoris located in a range of 30° or smaller in a counterclockwise directionfrom 90° with respect to a longitudinal direction of a belt, or in arange of 30° or smaller in a clockwise direction from 90° with respectto the longitudinal direction of the belt. A user of the electronicpedometer uses the electronic pedometer at least by wearing the walksensor on a wrist of the user using the belt.

Here, when the walk sensor is disposed so that the sensitivity axis ofthe walk sensor is located in the range of 30° or smaller in thecounterclockwise direction from 90° with respect to the longitudinaldirection of the belt, the walk sensor is preferably used by being wornon the left wrist of the user, and when the walk sensor is disposed sothat the sensitivity axis of the walk sensor is located in the range of30° or smaller in the clockwise direction from 90° with respect to thelongitudinal direction of the belt, the walk sensor is preferably usedby being worn on the right wrist of the user.

In addition, the walk sensor is preferably an acceleration sensor.

In addition, the electronic pedometer may include timing means fortiming time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred form of the present invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an external appearance of an electronicpedometer according to an embodiment mode of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged front view showing the externalappearance of the electronic pedometer according to the embodiment modeof the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a maximum value of an arm swing angle rangein a normal walk of a general walker;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an arm swing angle range of 80% of persons;

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a situation in which sensitivity changesdepending on mounting angles of an acceleration sensor;

FIG. 6 is a graph showing a change in sensitivity when an arm swingangle is maximum;

FIG. 7 is a graph showing a change in sensitivity caused by arm swing in80% of persons;

FIG. 8 is a waveform chart showing a waveform of a walk signal from aperson for whom a large output is obtained from an acceleration sensorwhen a sensitivity axis of the acceleration sensor is set at 90°;

FIG. 9 is a waveform chart showing a waveform of a walk signal from aperson for whom a large output is obtained from an acceleration sensorwhen a sensitivity axis of the acceleration sensor is set at 75°;

FIG. 10 is a waveform chart showing a waveform of a walk signal from aperson for whom a large output is obtained from an acceleration sensorwhen a sensitivity axis of the acceleration sensor is set at 60°;

FIG. 11 is a waveform chart showing a waveform of a walk signal from aperson for whom a large output is obtained from an acceleration sensorwhen a sensitivity axis of the acceleration sensor is set at 45°;

FIG. 12 is a waveform chart showing a waveform of a walk signal from aperson for whom a small output is obtained from an acceleration sensorwhen a sensitivity axis of the acceleration sensor is set at 90°;

FIG. 13 is a waveform chart showing a waveform of a walk signal from aperson for whom a small output is obtained from an acceleration sensorwhen a sensitivity axis of the acceleration sensor is set at 75°;

FIG. 14 is a waveform chart showing a waveform of a walk signal from aperson for whom a small output is obtained from an acceleration sensorwhen a sensitivity axis of the acceleration sensor is set at 60°;

FIG. 15 is a waveform chart showing a waveform of a walk signal from aperson for whom a small output is obtained from an acceleration sensorwhen a sensitivity axis of the acceleration sensor is set at 45°; and

FIG. 16 is a graph showing an angle range of the sensitivity axis of theacceleration sensor in which a walk level can be measured.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An electronic pedometer according to an embodiment mode of the presentinvention is a watch type electronic pedometer which is used by beingworn on a wrist of a user. The watch type electronic pedometer has: anacceleration sensor as a walk sensor for detecting a walk of a user tooutput a walk signal corresponding to the walk; calculation means forcalculating the number of steps of the user based on the walk signal;and a belt with which at least the acceleration sensor is worn on awrist of the user, and is used at least by wearing the accelerationsensor on the wrist of the user using the belt. The electronic pedometeraccording to this embodiment mode will hereinafter be described withreference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an external appearance of an electronicpedometer according to an embodiment mode of the present invention, andshows an electronic pedometer for a left wrist which is used by beingworn on a left wrist of a user. In addition, FIG. 2 is a partiallyenlarged view of FIG. 1.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, an electronic pedometer 100 includes an electronicpedometer main body 101 having a display portion 102 and a manipulationportion 103 which can be manipulated from the outside, a belt 105 whichis constituted by a main portion and a buttons and with which theelectronic pedometer main body 101 is worn on a wrist of a user, and abuckle 104 provided in an end portion of the belt 105.

The display portion 102 has a step number display portion 201 fordisplaying thereon the number of steps which a user has taken, and atime display portion 202 for displaying thereon data on a time, a walktime period, and the like.

A plurality of small holes 106 are formed in the belt 105. Theelectronic pedometer main body 101 is worn on the arm of a user byengaging suitable one of the small holes 106 with the buckle 104.

An acceleration sensor 203 as a walk sensor for detecting a walk levelof a user is provided inside the electronic pedometer main body 101. Theacceleration sensor 203 used herein is an element able to detect anacceleration, and is called a shock sensor, an impact sensor, avibration sensor or the like. Various kinds of acceleration sensorswhich are of a bimorph type, of unimorph type, of a piezo type, and thelike can be used.

In addition, the electronic pedometer main body 101 includes in itsinside calculation means for calculating the number of steps of a userbased on a walk signal which corresponds to a walk and which isoutputted from the acceleration sensor 203, timing means for timing,display driving means for displaying data on the accumulated number ofsteps of a user calculated by the calculation means, data on a timemeasured by the timing means, and the like on the display portion 102,and the like.

While the details of amounting angle of the acceleration sensor 203 tothe belt 105 will be described later, since the electronic pedometer 100shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is an electronic pedometer for a left wrist, theacceleration sensor 203 is disposed in a position where when theelectronic pedometer main body 101 is viewed from the display portion102 side, a sensitivity axis K of the acceleration sensor 203 is locatedin a range S of 30° or smaller in a counterclockwise direction from adirection Y making 90° with respect to a longitudinal direction X of thebelt 105. Note that when a movement direction of the acceleration sensor203 or a direction along which a mechanical shock is applied to theacceleration sensor 203 is aligned with the sensitivity axis K, thedetection sensitivity becomes maximum.

When the electronic pedometer 100 is worn on a left wrist, a palm is ona B side and an elbow is on an A side.

It should be noted that in a case of a watch type electronic pedometerfor a right arm which is used in a state of being worn on a right wrist,the acceleration sensor 203 is disposed in a position where when theelectronic pedometer main body 101 is viewed from the display portion102 side, the sensitivity axis K of the acceleration sensor 203 islocated in a range of 30° or smaller in a clockwise direction from thedirection Y making 90° with respect to the longitudinal direction X ofthe belt 105. When the electronic pedometer 100 is worn on a rightwrist, a palm is on the A side and an elbow is on the B side.

In this embodiment mode, a watch type electronic pedometer needs to beconstructed so that in order to make countable the number of steps in awalk in a state in which a user's hand is put into a pocket or such awalk that a user communicates with someone using his/her mobiletelephone on a walk other than a normal walk (a walk in which a usernormally walks while he/she swings his/her arms), any of signalsgenerated through arm swing is not detected, and only a signalrepresenting vertical movement of the body is detected as much aspossible. While an arm swinging form during a normal walk depends onpersons, generally, arms are largely swung forward and are less swungbackward.

In addition, the vertical movement of the body is caused when a foot islanded on the earth. Thus, in a state in which a person normally walks,when a hand's position is in the foremost portion and in the rearmostportion in accordance with back and forth swing of an arm, a foot islanded on the earth to cause the vertical movement of the body.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a maximum value in an arm swing angle rangein a normal walk of a general walker, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing anarm swing angle range of 80% of persons. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4,while the arm swing angle range of a person is generally equal to orsmaller than 45° in a traveling direction, the arm swing angle range of80% of persons is equal to or smaller than 35°. While the arm swingangle range of a person is generally equal to or smaller than 25° in theopposite (backward) direction, similarly, 80% of persons show the anglerange of 15° or smaller.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a situation in which the sensitivity changesdepending on mounting angles of the acceleration sensor 203. FIG. 5shows a situation in which the detection sensitivity of the accelerationsensor 203 changes depending on an angle between the sensitivity axis Kof the acceleration sensor 203 and the shaking direction (movementdirection) of the acceleration sensor 203. In FIG. 5, when the arm isswung in the direction of the sensitivity axis K of the accelerationsensor 203, the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 203 becomesmaximum. It reveals that when the direction of the sensitivity axis K ofthe acceleration sensor 203 is set at 45° with respect to the movementdirection of the acceleration sensor 203, the sensitivity of theacceleration sensor 203 attenuates by 25% from a maximum value.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing a sensitivity change in a case where thesensitivity axis K of the acceleration sensor 203 is changed when thearm swing angle of a user has the maximum value (at 45° in the travelingdirection and at 25° in the backward direction). In FIG. 6, an axis ofabscissa represents an angle of the sensitivity axis K with respect tothe longitudinal direction X of the belt 105 when viewed from thedisplay portion 102 side, and an axis of ordinate represents a rate ofchange in sensitivity with a maximum value of the sensitivity of theacceleration sensor 203 defined as 100%.

In FIG. 6, a solid line represents a rate of change in sensitivity whenthe vertical movement is carried out in a state in which a left armhaving the acceleration sensor 203 worn therein is held upright, orlowered just downwardly (vertical state), a short broken line representsa rate of change in sensitivity when the vertical movement is carriedout in a state in which the right and left arms are held up in thetraveling direction by 45° from the downward direction (refer to FIG.3), and a long broken line represents a rate of change in sensitivitywhen the vertical movement is carried out in a state in which the leftarm is held up backward from the downward direction by 25° (−25°) (referto FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG. 6, it is understood that in a case where theacceleration sensor 203 is worn on the arm so that the sensitivity axisK of the acceleration sensor 203 becomes vertical to the longitudinaldirection X of the belt 105, the sensitivity attenuates by 25% from amaximum value when the arm is swung in the traveling direction by 45°,and the sensitivity attenuates by about 7% when the arm is swungbackward by 25°. In addition, in a case where the acceleration sensor203 is disposed so that the sensitivity axis K makes 45° with respect tothe longitudinal direction X of the belt 105, the sensitivity becomesmaximum when the arm is swung in the traveling direction by 45°. Also,the sensitivity attenuates by about 60% when the arm is swung backwardby 25°.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing a rate of change in sensitivity when thesensitivity axis K of the acceleration sensor 203 is changed in a casewhere about 80% of persons swing their arms (in the traveling directionby 35° and backward by 15°). Similar to the example of FIG. 6, an axisof abscissa represents an angle of the sensitivity axis K with respectto the longitudinal direction X of the belt 105 when viewed from thedisplay portion 102 side, and an axis of ordinate represents a rate ofchange in sensitivity with a maximum value of the sensitivity of theacceleration sensor 203 defined as 100%.

In FIG. 7, a solid line represents a rate of change in sensitivity whenthe vertical movement is carried out in a state in which a left armhaving the acceleration sensor 203 worn therein is held upright, orlowered just downwardly (vertical state), a short broken line representsa rate of change in sensitivity when the vertical movement is carriedout in a state in which the left arm is held up in the travelingdirection by 35° from the downward direction (refer to FIG. 4), and along broken line represents a rate of change in sensitivity when thevertical movement is carried out in a state in which the left arm isheld up backward from the downward direction by 15° (−15°) (refer toFIG. 4).

An angle of the arm of a person communicating with someone using his/hermobile telephone or the like generally becomes 125°. Here, this stateshows the same rate of change in sensitivity as that in a state in whichthe arm is swung in the traveling direction by 35°.

FIG. 8 is a waveform chart showing a waveform of a walking signal from aperson for whom a large output is obtained from the acceleration sensor203 in a case where the acceleration sensor 203 is disposed so that thesensitivity axis K of the acceleration sensor 203 makes 90° with respectto the longitudinal direction X of the belt 105 when viewed from thedisplay portion 102 side; FIG. 9 is a waveform chart showing a waveformof a walking signal from a person for whom a large output is obtainedfrom the acceleration sensor 203 in a case where the acceleration sensor203 is disposed so that the sensitivity axis K of the accelerationsensor 203 makes 75° with respect to the longitudinal direction X of thebelt 105 when viewed from the display portion 102 side; FIG. 10 is awaveform chart showing a waveform of a walking signal from a person forwhom a large output is obtained from the acceleration sensor 203 in acase where the acceleration sensor 203 is disposed so that thesensitivity axis K of the acceleration sensor 203 makes 60° with respectto the longitudinal direction X of the belt 105 when viewed from thedisplay portion 102 side; and FIG. 11 is a waveform chart showing awaveform of a walking signal from a person for whom a large output isobtained from the acceleration sensor 203 in a case where theacceleration sensor 203 is disposed so that the sensitivity axis K ofthe acceleration sensor 203 makes 45° with respect to the longitudinaldirection X of the belt 105 when viewed from the display portion 102side.

In FIGS. 8 to 11, each peak of the walking signal represents one step.When an angle between the sensitivity axis K and the longitudinaldirection X of the belt 105 is in a range of 90° to 60°, satisfactorysignal waveforms are obtained (FIGS. 8 to 10). However, as shown in FIG.11, when the angle between the sensitivity axis K and the longitudinaldirection X of the belt 105 is 45°, each peak of the walk signalcorresponding to a walk detected when the arm (the left arm in thisembodiment mode) having the electronic pedometer 100 worn therein isswung in the traveling direction is large, but each peak of the walksignal detected when the arm is swung backward is small. Thus, there isa possibility that the walk measurement becomes unsuitable to cause ameasurement error.

FIG. 12 shows a waveform of a walk signal from a person for whom a smalloutput is obtained from the acceleration sensor 203 in a case where theacceleration sensor 203 is disposed so that the sensitivity axis K ofthe acceleration sensor 203 makes 90° with respect to the longitudinaldirection X of the belt 105 when viewed from the display portion 102side. FIG. 13 shows a waveform of a walk signal from a person for whom asmall output is obtained from the acceleration sensor 203 in a casewhere the acceleration sensor 203 is disposed so that the sensitivityaxis K of the acceleration sensor 203 makes 75° with respect to thelongitudinal direction X of the belt 105 when viewed from the displayportion 102 side. FIG. 14 shows a waveform of a walk signal from aperson for whom a small output is obtained from the acceleration sensor203 in a case where the acceleration sensor 203 is disposed so that thesensitivity axis K of the acceleration sensor 203 makes 60° with respectto the longitudinal direction X of the belt 105 when viewed from thedisplay portion 102 side. FIG. 15 shows a waveform of a walk signal froma person for whom a small output is obtained from the accelerationsensor 203 in a case where the acceleration sensor 203 is disposed sothat the sensitivity axis K of the acceleration sensor 203 makes 45°with respect to the longitudinal direction X of the belt 105 when viewedfrom the display portion 102 side.

In FIGS. 12 to 15, each peak of the signal represents one step similarlyto FIGS. 8 to 11. Regarding a person for whom a small output is obtainedfrom the acceleration sensor 203, the satisfactory walk detection signalbecomes hard to obtain as the angle between the sensitivity axis K andthe longitudinal direction X of the belt 105 becomes smaller. As aresult, the walk measurement becomes unstable. Hence, there is apossibility that a large measurement error is caused.

FIG. 16 is a characteristic diagram showing a range in which a walk canbe measured using the acceleration sensor 203. An axis of abscissarepresents an angle between the sensitivity axis K of the accelerationsensor 203 and the longitudinal direction X of the belt 105 when viewedfrom the display portion 102 side, and an axis of ordinate representsnormalized sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 203. As shown in FIG.16, the acceleration sensor 203 has the satisfactory sensitivity in aregion in which the angle of sensitivity axis K is equal to or largerthan 60°. In this embodiment mode, the range of the angle between thesensitivity axis K of the acceleration sensor 203 and the longitudinaldirection X of the belt 105 when viewed from the display portion 102side is determined as follows with reference to the characteristicdiagram of FIG. 16.

Since in the normal life, a human being does nothing with his/her armsbeing held backward, a maximum value of the angle between thesensitivity axis K of the acceleration sensor 203 and the longitudinaldirection X of the belt 105 when viewed from the display portion 102side is set as 90°. In addition, in order to allow the walk signal to bedetected every step even for a person whose walk signal is at a lowlevel, a minimum value of the angle between the sensitivity axis K ofthe acceleration sensor 203 and the longitudinal direction X of the belt105 when viewed from the display portion 102 side is set as 60° (30° ina counterclockwise direction from the direction of 90° with respect tothe longitudinal direction X of the belt 105). That is, the sensitivityaxis K of the acceleration sensor 203 is set in a range S of 30° orsmaller in a counterclockwise direction from the direction of 90° withrespect to the longitudinal direction X of the belt 105 when viewed fromthe display portion 102 side, thereby allowing the number of steps to besatisfactorily counted.

Note that in a case of the watch type electronic pedometer for a righthand as well described above, the sensitivity axis of the accelerationsensor can be set similarly to the foregoing. In the case of the watchtype electronic pedometer for a right hand, the sensitivity axis K isset in a range of 30° or smaller in a clockwise direction from thedirection of 90° with respect to the longitudinal direction X of thebelt 105, thereby making it possible to count the number of steps in asatisfactory manner.

When the number of steps is counted using the watch type electronicpedometer 100 for a left hand constructed as described above, a user ofthe electronic pedometer 100 wears the electronic pedometer 100 inhis/her left wrist using the belt 105, and starts the processing forcounting the number of steps by manipulating the manipulation portion103, and also starts to walk, thereby counting the number of steps. Theuser checks data on the number of steps and data on a walk time periodwhich are displayed on the step number display portion 201 and the timedisplay portion 202 of the display portion 102, respectively.

When the number of steps is counted using the watch type electronicpedometer for a right hand described above, the number of steps iscounted with the electronic pedometer being worn on a right wrist of auser.

As described above, the electronic pedometer according to thisembodiment mode includes: an acceleration sensor for detecting a walk ofa user to output a walk signal corresponding to the walk; calculationmeans for calculating the number of steps of the user based on the walksignal; a belt with which the acceleration sensor is worn on a wrist ofthe user; and a display portion for displaying thereon data on thenumber of steps calculated by the calculation means, in which the walksensor being used at least by being worn on the wrist of the user usingthe belt, the acceleration sensor 203 is disposed so that thesensitivity axis K of the acceleration sensor 203 is located in therange S of 30° or smaller in a counterclockwise direction from thedirection of 90° with respect to the longitudinal direction X of thebelt 105 when viewed from the display portion 102 side, or in the rangeof 30° or smaller in a clockwise direction from the direction of 90°with respect to the longitudinal direction X of the belt 105 when viewedfrom the display portion 102 side.

Here, when the acceleration sensor 203 is disposed so that thesensitivity axis K of the acceleration sensor 203 is located in therange S of 30° or smaller in the counterclockwise direction from thedirection of 90° with respect to the longitudinal direction X of thebelt 105, the electronic pedometer is used in a state of being worn on aleft wrist of the user, while when the acceleration sensor 203 isdisposed so that the sensitivity axis K of the acceleration sensor 203is located in the range S of 30° or smaller in the clockwise directionfrom the direction of 90° with respect to the longitudinal direction Xof the belt 105, the electronic pedometer is used in a state of beingworn on a right wrist of the user.

As a result, in the watch type electronic pedometer in which at leastthe walk sensor is used in a state of being worn on a wrist, theminiaturization becomes possible, and even in walking with no arm beingswung, the satisfactory walk detection becomes possible.

Note that while in the above embodiment mode, the construction isadopted in which the electronic pedometer main body 101 is used in astate of being worn on a wrist of a user, a construction may be adoptedin which at least the acceleration sensor 203 is worn on a wrist of auser.

The present invention can also be applied to an electronic pedometerwhich is constructed such that all constituent elements of the pedometerare worn on the user's body when in use, or an electronic pedometerwhich is constructed such that some (including at least sensors) ofconstituent elements are worn on the user's body, and other constituentelements wirelessly transmit/receive signals to/from the constituentelements, and the other constituent elements are provided away from theuser.

According to the present invention, effects are offered in whichminiaturization becomes possible since a walk can be detected using asingle walk sensor, and a walk in a state in which no arm is swung canbe detected since the sensitivity axis of the walk sensor is constructedso as to have a predetermined angle when the electronic pedometer isused.

In addition, it becomes possible to construct the electronic pedometerhaving a function as a watch, and to measure almost the numbers of stepsin normal life.

1-4. (canceled)
 5. An electronic pedometer comprising: an accelerationsensor that detects acceleration in vertical movement of a user's bodyduring a walking movement of the user to output a walk signalcorresponding to the detected acceleration; calculation means forcalculating a number of walking steps of the user based on the walksignal; and a strap for mounting the electronic pedometer on a wrist ofthe user's body; wherein the acceleration sensor has a sensitivity axisalong which a detection sensitivity by the acceleration sensor of theacceleration in vertical movement of the user's body during the walkingmovement becomes a maximum; and wherein when the acceleration sensor ismounted on a right wrist of the user's body, the sensitivity axis of theacceleration sensor is located within a range of 30 degrees or less inthe clockwise direction from an axis disposed at 90 degrees with respectto the longitudinal direction of the strap.
 6. An electronic pedometeraccording to claim 5; further including a display portion that displaysthe number of walking steps calculated by the calculation means.
 7. Anelectronic pedometer according to claim 6; further including a timedisplay portion that displays time data.
 8. An electronic pedometercomprising: an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration in verticalmovement of a user's body during walking movement of the user andoutputs a signal corresponding to the detected acceleration, theacceleration sensor having a sensitivity axis along which a detectionsensitivity by the acceleration sensor of the acceleration in verticalmovement of the user's body during the walking movement becomes amaximum; calculation means for calculating a number of walking steps ofthe user based on the signal outputted from the acceleration sensor; anda strap attached to the electronic pedometer to mount the electricpedometer on the right wrist of the user so that the sensitivity axis ofthe acceleration sensor lies within a range of 30 degrees or less in theclockwise direction from an axis that is at 90 degrees with respect tothe longitudinal direction of the strap.
 9. An electronic pedometeraccording to claim 8; further including a display portion that displaysthe number of walking steps calculated by the calculation means.
 10. Anelectronic pedometer according to claim 9; further including a timedisplay portion that displays time data.